This past July, nine visitors came to explore the Camphill communities in Pennsylvania to spend a weekend staying in lifesharing houses, meeting residents and co-workers, and learning all about Camphill. This visit was an initiative supported by the Camphill Foundation as part of the year-long Middle Generation Outreach and Recruitment pilot project, to support Camphill communities in the region in meeting more mid-career leaders and inviting them to consider how Camphill might fit into their vocational plans.
This group was assembled on the basis of their curiosity about Camphill, shared values around economic justice, disability justice, land stewardship, intentional community, and spirituality. Many of the visitors are either enrolled at Union Theological Seminary or recent alumni. Participants have prior work experience in a range of careers, including chaplaincy, oral history storytelling, library science, writing, law, furniture design, teaching, and small business ownership; they also represent a range of different spiritual traditions and backgrounds. Most had limited exposure to anthroposophy and Camphill before this weekend.
The group was asked some orienting questions in the lead up to their visit, including: How are we trying to live into our values about community, inclusion, economy, and living an ethic of care in this complex political environment during a time of historic wealth inequality? What can we learn from how Camphill communities relate to resources, needs, and money? What ideas do we carry around about disability and about meaningful work?
A picture of some of the weekend’s participants from Union Theological Seminary, including Camphill Academy board member Shelley Burtt, Eric Manigian, Annie Reynolds, Alexis Morin, and Fan Lou.
The weekend agenda included touring Beaver Run campus of The Camphill School and visiting workshops, hearing from Libby Sanders, Guy Alma, Sonja Adams, Mark Ohi, Sherry Wildfeuer and other Camphill co-workers about anthroposophy, enjoying meals in lifesharing houses, touring Beaver Farm, weeding in Foxfield Flower Garden, participating in a special weekend pottery workshop at Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, having a Bible Supper with coworkers at Kimberton Hills and learning about the Fundamental Social Law. Participants attended Sunday service at Kimberton Hills, and the final conversation of the program invited participants to reflect on the possibilities they see for connecting Camphill to their communities and vice versa.
Since July, we’ve been following up with participants to learn more about their impressions and questions, and to pursue follow-up collaborations ranging from placing seminary student interns at Camphill communities to planning a “reverse exchange” weekend for coworkers and residents to visit New York City and see how mid-career leaders with similar values are living those out in the Big Apple.
There’s an upcoming weekend overnight visit planned this Fall to visit Camphill Ghent, Hudson, Copake, and Triform from November 7th-11th, 2025. Anyone who is interested in experiencing Camphill for a weekend to learn more about lifesharing can reach out to Alexis Morin at spellreyne@gmail.com to indicate interest.
We hope this program marks the beginning of many more weekend visits where Millennials can learn about Camphill and begin to form mutually transformational relationships that will eventually grow into strong mid-career coworker recruitment networks to support communities across the region. (article by Alexis Morin, Founder & Leadership Coach – Soul Work Coaching)
